Apple and Microsoft face off with new MacBook Pros and Surface Studio PC

It was a monster week in tech. Microsoft and Apple squared off on back-to-back days on Wednesday and Thursday with each company announcing new high-powered computers.

Joining me on this week's MashTalk was Mashable Tech Editor Pete Pachal and our Apps Reporter Karissa Bell who dialed in from San Francisco.

But before we jumped into the two tech titans and their new gadgets, we poured one out for Vine. In a move that shouldn't have surprised anyone, Twitter announced on Thursday via a Medium blog post it will shut down the mobile app in the coming months.

Honestly, I'm surprised Vine lasted as long as it did. With so many Vine stars having left the platform for Snapchat Stories, YouTube and Instagram Stories, was the news really shocking?

The problem with Vine was that if you were really good at it, you became a chosen one. Heck, tons of internet famous "influencers" sprouted from Vine. But if you were a casual Viner, even if you were consistent, you really didn't stand a chance. Discovery was a huge pain point, and Twitter didn't really do much to build it out.

Worse, content creators, especially the Vine elite, couldn't monetize it — hence, the flock to YouTube. Compounding it all was the rise of live streaming platforms like Periscope and Facebook Live.

Vine opened many doors for many people, but it'll be remembered for what it wasn't more than what it was.

Now on to Microsoft. Holy mama, the company did not bore. OK, the first half of the company's event was all Windows 10 Creators Edition and blah blah blah "3D for everyone" with awkward 3D emoji in the new Paint 3D, but the last half — whoa! —was insane.

First Microsoft's Panos Panay gushed over the new Surface Book i7, and then he announced the Surface Studio, the company's first all-in-one PC with massive 28-inch True Scale touchscreen display all wrapped up in thin, sleek and powerful metal design. And the screen tilts down, supports the Surface Pen and the Surface Dial!

Gah! The Surface Studio isn't going to win regulars like me over, but hot damn, for illustrators and designers? It's g-g-gorgeous and just what they need.

Now compare that to Apple's new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros. They're thinner and lighter and now come in a Space Gray finish. All great things, but the new thing we're supposed to freak out over is the Touch Bar (how bad is that name?) and Touch ID sensor and trackpad that's twice as large?

My first impression (disclaimer: I haven't actually seen the thing) is that the Touch Bar makes for lovely keynote videos, but in practice, it's gonna be a gimmick. Apple showed plenty of professional apps that will use the Touch Bar like Final Cut Pro X and Photoshop, but I wasn't convinced it'll be a game changer.

Professionals need precise tools and keyboard shortcuts and a mouse will always be more precise than a Touch Bar for scrolling through a video edit timeline or for changing colors in a palette.

Maybe I'll be more impressed when I get to check it out, but at first glance, Microsoft's new Surface Studio seems like the more interesting machine for professionals. Besides, what's with the 13-inch MacBook Pro without a Touch Bar and only two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports that cost $1,499? Now you're just trolling people, Apple.

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